Publication

New Pathways to E-commerce: A Global MSME Competitiveness Survey

This first ITC e-commerce survey provides valuable insights that will allow countries to shape policies and practices that address the real business needs on the ground.

To ensure that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) can benefit from e-commerce, they need better access to e-platforms, payment and delivery services; streamlined customs procedures; and targeted skill building. These are the key findings from this ITC survey of 2,200 MSMEs in 111 countries. In addition, the survey reveals that the share of logistics costs over final price is nearly double in developing countries than in developed countries and that product return is a significant cost factor for enterprises from least developed countries.